Issue 1356
Welcome to another edition of RV Travel’s Daily Tips newsletter. Here you’ll find helpful RV-related and living tips from the pros, travel advice, a handy website of the day, tips on our favorite RVing-related products and, of course, a good laugh. Thanks for joining us. We appreciate you. Please tell your friends about us.
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Today’s thought
“Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion.”―
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Veggie Burger Day!
Tip of the Day
Finding space for the traveling cat litter box
By Sandy Burns
Much has been written on the topic of traveling with dogs, but what about our feline friends? Most importantly, where do you find the space in your RV to store the litter box?
RVs aren’t known for having unused space, particularly nooks and crannies sized just right for a cat box. Many cat owners I know simply store it under the dining room table. But an ill-timed use of the box by your furry friend could quickly rob you of your appetite. Continue reading for several great ideas.
Do you have a tip? Submit it here.
Should generators be allowed in National Park campgrounds?
Check out this short video of one incredibly rude camper’s noisy generator at Yellowstone National Park. Then tell us what you think in the comments below the article: Should generators be allowed in National Park campgrounds?
Yesterday’s featured article: Sparkling-clean window screens without water
You may have missed these recent popular stories…
- Don’t make these mistakes with venomous snakes
- If you can’t answer these questions, you shouldn’t be towing
- It can’t tow an RV, but this 40,000-pound stone truck rocks
- Will campgrounds be even more crowded in the months ahead?
Reader poll
Do you have a current fishing license?
Cast a vote over here.
Quick Tip
Safer parking in parking lots
If you park your tow rig and trailer in a “normal” parking lot, you’re likely hanging out into the driving lane. When making a short stop in a lot, put “safety cones” out in the drive lane to make sure oncoming drivers really see the rig. Here are some collapsible safety cones at Amazon.com.
Random RV Thought
One reason to live in an RV and not a sticks-and-bricks home? The views out your windows! What might cost you a million dollars at a traditional home, you get for maybe $20 a night at a campground or free in the boondocks.
Website of the day
Short travel stories that will make you smile
These 25 stories will surely put a smile on your face (something that we all need right now). Give ’em a read and enjoy.
Cooking for two? It’s never been easier!
This cookbook from the beloved America’s Test Kitchen brings you 650 delicious recipes specifically designed for just two people! 150 of those recipes can be on the table within 30 minutes or less – this cookbook has it all! Look through some of the recipes, read the amazing reviews, or order here.
Clubs and useful organizations
PLEASE NOTE: We may receive an affiliate commission if you join any of these.
• Harvest Hosts: Stay free at farms, wineries and other scenic and peaceful locations for free. Save 15% on membership.
• AllStays: The best website for RVers! Your membership will become your RV-bible.
• Overnight RV parking. Directory of more than 14,000 locations where you can stay for free or nearly free with your RV. Modest membership fee.
• Boondockers Welcome. Stay at homes of RVers who welcome you in their driveways, yards, farmland or other space on their private property. Modest membership fee.
• Escapees. Best Club for RVers: All RVers welcome, no matter what type of RV, make or model.
Run two air conditioners on 30 amps – Wow!
When the temperature really gets sizzling and your 50-amp rig is stuck with a 30-amp hookup, you’re out of luck if you want to run two air conditioners. That is, unless you have a state-of-the-art SoftStartRV. It’s inexpensive, simple to install, and works just as promised. Don’t miss watching the short video by RV electricity expert Mike Sokol. Learn more or order at a special discount.
Trivia
In the last row of the U.S. Senate Chamber, there is a desk that is always stocked with candy. The candy-filled mahogany desk is close to often-used elevators on the Republican side. For more than 50 years, the desk has been filled with plenty of candy, enough to satisfy the needs of any and all sweet-toothed politicians.
*What state is the smallest? What state is the least populated? We told you in yesterday’s trivia.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“Cameo doing her impression of Marilyn Monroe.” — Sue Gill
Send us a photo of your pet with a short description. We publish one each weekday in RV Daily Tips and in our Saturday RV Travel newsletter.
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Leave here with a laugh
I’ve finally told my suitcases there will be no vacation this year. Now I’m dealing with the emotional baggage.
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No area to comment on Generators in Parks. Although we all need to use them, use them wisely and sparingly. Don’t know why the trailer was running the Gen, but I’ve seen a lot of people do that when they leave their pets behind (usually barking dog’s) with the A/C running.
If there were hookups in Parks, we wouldn’t need to run the Gen. Even with Solar panels, parks are pretty shady and the Gen needs to be fired up once in awhile to charge batteries. However, we keep it to a short time if we do. Sad, some bad apple can ruin it for most of the law-abiding others! Sometimes, leaving a note on the rig can help. And by the way, can you please turn your outside lights out when you retire for the night?!!✌️ Be safe, take care of each other!
Yes, the generator was loud and obnoxious but it wasn’t running during prohibited times and even though it appeared no one was around there may have been a pet inside. I would hate to be next to this rig but it didn’t appear that they were not following the rules.
Or might have some ice cream in fridge that needed to stay frozen.
Voting on issue of generators in national parks doesn’t work on my iPad
The example in the video was a worst case scenario. It was obviously an industrial generator, not a RV generator which would be much quieter and the generator in the video was “hunting” which means it was badly in need of maintenance. When I use the generator installed in my RV it produces a steady hum at about 20% of the decibels of the generator in the video. Non-RVers are always amazed at how quiet it is.
How rude of YOU to create a video specifically to shame someone who was not breaking any rules.
You might like this comment, however she’s correct. We’re all entitled to our opinion but again she’s right.
I believe RV Travel was just asking a question! Yes the generator was obnoxious, yes it was running during posted hours. And yes just a question to ponder and give your opinion. If that is what I had to listen to for a day, I would vote NO GENERATORS!
I agree with you – it was just a question. But they didn’t just ask the question, they made a video to make an example of them for all the world to see. 🙂
This was their headline.
Should generators be allowed in National Park campgrounds?
RV travel did not make the video they shared a video.
I have been RVing for many years and I always thought I have seen it all but somehow there is always someone that beats the last one. Before traveling in a RV we sailed the waters in a large sailboat and I can tell you that the level of people not caring about their neighbors does not start or end at the waters edge. One example is the person in a small sailboat anchored all too close to us running a small generator on top of their deck with the exhaust coming into our boat and the extension cord hanging in the water just waiting to electrocute anyone that jumped into the water. We pointed it out to the people only to be told to mind our own business. Needless to say we pulled anchor and moved far far away! I can’t speak for the people that were running the generator or those that had to hear it all day and if they had spoken to the people about the noise. If you do not care about others as we had encountered then you should be made the example!
You may have seen the Daryl McClure cartoon labeled “Midnight Baked Potato” which shows a man in pajamas in a dinghy about to jam a potato into an output on the side of a big boat.
I believe RV Travel DID make the video. It says produced by RVTravel.com. Yikes on the sailboat example. At least you tried to point it out to them.
You (we) may have some right to be obnoxious as all get-out within the letter of the law. But you have no reasonable expectation of doing so without being called on it.
Do we take it that you are one of those that don’t mind disturbing people and nature, even if you are not at your campsite?
Lol, no I am not “one of those”. I would not do that, but I try to be a little more tolerant of others. Especially when I have no idea what their circumstances are. People are not always intentionally rude.
The problem is when you ask a specific question, you will get answers that respond but include other complaints not even mentioned.
Decibels generally aren’t measured in percentages since a dB is actually a logarithmic ratio comparing two values, in this case Sound Pressure Levels. Any 3 decibel change is actually a 2:1 power ratio, so going from 60dB to 57dB SPL results in a 50% (2:! ratio) reduction in acoustic energy ,a 6dB change is a 4:! ratio, with a 10dB change being a 10:1 power ratio. A 20% sound energy reduction is less than a 1 decibel change, which is hardly discernible by the human ear. Crazy, isn’t it?
Perceived decibels are a different thing entirely since it requires a 10dB change (actually a factor of 10 times more acoustic energy) to sound twice as loud. To top it off we also have to consider frequency spectrum of the noise, with our ears being naturally tuned to hear some frequencies more than others. And there’s psychoacoustic effects as well where steady white noise (raindrops) or the hum of a refrigerator compressor motor become self masking, which is why you don’t notice them after a while. That’s why crying alley cats and babies get our attention so easily, we are tuned to hear that part of the sound spectrum (babies crying) and they’re not part of the overall background noises.
This entire issue of generator noise levels is so confusing that manufacturers often get it wrong in their marketing literature, and I have to argue with their engineers at times. For example, they’ll call a contractor generator “RV Ready” when all they’ve done is add a TT-30 shore power outlet and a surge protector on the output. That makes it easier to plug into, but not any quieter in a campground.
Now I know this isn’t a popular statement, but I think that all open-frame contractor generators should be prohibited at campgrounds no matter what the time. I know it’s a money issue since quiet inverter generators can be pretty expensive, but when I go to a campground I really don’t want to hear an open frame contractor generator banging away. Read (and hear) more about how this all works here: https://www.rvtravel.com/generator-noise-pollution-part-1/ and https://www.rvtravel.com/rv-electricity-abcs-of-generator-noise-2/
I have camped at Mesa Verde when the jerks in the big RV’s started their generators. Campers are trying to get away from the noise and pollution of city life, and these folks need to watch their televisons and air condition their vehicles. They close their windows so they do not have to hear the noise or smell the stench. Rules do not apply to owners of big RV’s, rules are for other people.
So, in your opinion what type of tents, RVs etc would be permitted and are you the one to do the permitting?
Correct me if I’m wrong but wasn’t the person using this “noisy” generator camping in a pop-up?
There’s no need for a generator when solar is so inexpensive these days. If you’re in a national park it is safe to assume that you want to be outdoors. Turn off the air and head outside.
There is nothing inexpensive about solar.
Not sure what you call inexpensive? Priced a solar for our coach and it would run in the neighborhood of 6k! So, with a 10k generator that is super quiet, I will continue using my gen during regulated hours and boon docking! Yes, the price of solar is coming down and would love to have, but at this point in time, will have to wait.
It appeared to be running during the allowed time, so if you want to stay there you have accept that. If it’s too much of a problem go boondocking. So, which is worse? Being a noisy annoying neighbor or wanting the world to operate on your standards? You found your way in, you can find your way out.
Either the generator was not under load, or the AC connected to it will not last long. Varying speeds like that mean the output is varying in frequency and voltage, which results in damage to most loads. Won’t last long.
$20 per night in a campground? Haven’t seen that low of a rate in a long time.
I agree. Wonder where it’s located.
There are many county parks around me that are in the sub 20 dollar range if you do not need electric.
http://www.OvernightRVParking.com lists many. https://www.overnightrvparking.com/v2/subscribe.html?partner=rvtravel
Subscribe using that link & you’ll get 15 months for the price of 12 on your first year.
We often find campgrounds for less than $20/night with Passport America.
The 8-8 rules are fine. Possibly have a rule re: construction generators. The generator wasn’t working efficiently. A park host might be able to educate them on how to run a generator.
re: no one there. They might have been trying to charge a battery.
Loud gen, yes / but within the running hours.
Your article on safety cones says “f you park your tow rig and trailer in a “normal” parking lot, you’re likely hanging out into the driving lane.’ RVs should never hang out into the driving lane. Go to an outer part of the parking lot & park across several auto parking spaces to avoid liability in case someone runs into your RV. (The safety vones are still a good idea.)
Limits to decibel output should be a consideration. Let’s face it. There will always be that jerk who will run his 110 dB gen because it is his “freedom and right” to do so and to heck with anyone else. Consideration for others is a thing of the past. As written previously in Thoughts, true freedom is not being able to do anything one wants to do, rather the ability to do what is right.
We use solar, two 120 watt panels, have two AGM’s plenty of Amphours. So we don’t ever run out of electricity. We can run everything but A/C. We ordered our rig without a TV. Plenty else to watch! 😉
There could easily be–and should be–decibel limits, but those only work if there are personnel there to enforce them, and that only happens if there is budget to pay them, and that only happens if politicians provide it, and that only happens if we vote in politicians who will do that.
This kind of thing is why we only camp in established campgrounds as a result of poor planning.
NO. They weren’t violating posted rules.
NO. You weren’t trying to make an example of them.
YES. Noisy generators can be annoying.
Some people are very sensitive to heat, dust and pollen (or they have pets inside), so the generator is allowing them to condition a sealed environment. Hopefully, those people with environmental requirements are staying in parks that have 30/50 amp service, or are solar users.
For the rest, I wish there were more limited generator hours. I also wish people could talk quietly during quiet hours. I also wish people didn’t light fires which damage branches up to 30′. I wish people didn’t park on the grass, when it is posted not to. I wish people would follow the one-way and speed limit signs in a campground. However, the majority follow whatever the posted rules are.
If have seen a few campgrounds with stated generator hours, for example 9-10am, 12-1pm, 6-7pm.
You have a credit score. It generally shows how well you manage your finances. States maintain “points” for driving offenses. Insurance companies are keeping score, too. How about a “camping score”. You start at 1,000, and deducted points would age off after 5 years. Then, National, State, local and private campgrounds could contribute to your score.
We have a front-engine diesel coach, which means the entry door is more-or-less midship. So the passenger has footspace in front of the seat. When stationary, we put the litterbox on the floor in front of the passenger seat. When traveling, litterbox goes in a corner of the rear bedroom floor – out of the way of the slide but accessible for the cat if needed.
Random RV Thought
Sure, subject to time of year and availability (getting harder), there are $20/day camping sites (plus booking fees) with a view, especially if you have a National Senior Pass. However, re-showing old videos pictures w/signs of $20 fee and saying “maybe $20 a night at a campground” is more like wishful thinking. (Go wherever you want to go, whenever you want to, for maybe $20 a night?)
The publisher used to harp on how few spaces there are and how we have added 5 million more RVs to the crowded field in the last decade. Did he retire?
Can’t fix STUPID- only what STUPID does. Apparently applies to INCONSIDERATE, SELFISH and OBLIVIOUS to others. The fix is to kick their butts out of the park.
We run our diesel coach generator only when necessary and within the allowed hours. We also carry 2 Honda 2000 inverter generators as alternate backups and run them also within the posted hours.
Generators used as posted and in consideration of others are ok in a National Park.
I think the comfort and enjoyment of many should supersede the needs and wants of a few. No to contractor generators ever. Yes to quiet gens for a couple of hours max per day ( 10-12 and/or 3-5 ). For those with special needs, camp where there are full hookups or invest in solar. I have yet to see a campground brochure that said ” Come and enjoy the noisy ambiance of our many selfish and loud campers “. Be a good neighbour. Happy Trails
We were in a national park, had left for the day and ran out Honda 2000 while we were gone. Perfectly within the guidelines of 8 to 8. Women comes up to us all pizzedoff because we ran out generator. We had the right to do so.We are charging the batterys. Her Motorhome,(diesel pusher) was over a football field away. AND I could hear the hum of her diesel generator. I’d never mentioned it, maybe she forgot it was running. I continued to run mine until 8 pm.
is it allowed in a NP to leave a generator running unattended? I really don’t know. Just curious. When we leave for the day, my Honda is put away out of site and locked up.
I used to have a contractor generator and I hated it so much I left it out in plain site and never locked it up hoping someone would take it. No such luck.
Max DB allowed in National parks is 68 db in 50 feet distance from source. This is posted in all park litarature relating to campgrounds. Since anyone commenting here has a computer/laptop/phone of some sort .. please use it to look this up!
I think the current policies regarding generator noise and hours are adequate. However, the problem is that we continue to fund the parks at an abysmal rate. They barely have the funding to keep the grass mowed. So, it follows that funding doesn’t allow for additional full time employees and there isn’t adequate staff to aid in policing of violators. Personally, I think violators should be sent packing.
Loud Generators are fine during favorable hours, maybe we should ban campfires in National Parks because of the smoke.
Would I like to be next that generator ? Heck no but they are abiding by the rules. You then have 2 choices…Put up with it or Move on. I absolutely hate in one of our favorite Federal Campgrounds that the generator hours in the morning are 6:00 am but I’m left with same 2 choices. We RV all over USA & Canada for months at a time…your bound to find something irritating in your travels and camping experiences. I always just remind myself “ It’s still much better than working !”
True the contractor generator is loud and should not be used in campgrounds. So……States and/or Government should license Approved Generators for use in State/National Parks. One should always abide by the operating hours. Another solution, although costly, is the parks install electrical outlets…hence no noise at all. Solar is a great, however it has its drawbacks also, cloudy days, parked int he shade etc. I have and onboard generator that I rarely use, I don’t need 4000 watts all the time. So I carry a Honda 2000 with the eco switch that only puts out what I need in power. I always place it in spot to not disturb others. I walk around my site, the area within 100 yards and check the noise level. And I only run it as needed. If you can afford the upgrade get Lithium Batteries and an inverter, they last a lot longer then Lead Acid and there is zero noise. They charge much faster also.
I also think a little common sense goes a long way but we all know some folks have none. And are oblivious to what they’re doing.
We could go on and on about annoying behavior in campgrounds i.e. loud music, bright lights, big fires, yelling and noise beyond time limits. Ohhhhh and the alcohol consumption and don’t leave out the idling of that Diesel Truck early in the morning.
Regardless of all this I still love camping and don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
I like your idea of the NPS having an approved generator list. I know that will really annoy some people but contractor generators are much more annoying to everyone within a half mile.
Per the National Park Service website is the following:
Generators must conform to National Park Service regulations pertaining to audio disturbances, which states that “motorized equipment or machinery cannot exceed a noise level of 60 decibels measured on the A-weighted scale at 50 feet” (36 CFR 2.12).
I could be wrong but I suspect that this generator was louder than that.
I have used NP cg’s in the past. I find them to be too crowded, in most cases unlevel, and too noisey. The noise level I am talking about is after dark. Drunk parents letting their children run free screaming. I understand kids playing, but as I remember it was over the top. So I simply did what is best for me. I switched to commercial parks in the area or out west I boondock on public lands adjacent to the NP’s. I have an enclosed gen (not portable), and also invested in a solar system. I know everyone may not want to or can afford to. I use my toad to enter the NP’s and take advantage of what they have to offer, and go “home” to peace and quiet at the end of the day. That is the best of both worlds. Complaining incessantly will not make annoying noisey campers any more aware of their actions if they don’t care. I have found my resolution…